Faculty Development

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

I am honored and delighted to be named the first Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs of the Basic Sciences at Vanderbilt University. In this role, I hope to serve you by providing you with the resources you need to be successful in your respective roles. This webpage will be continuously updated to include new resources as they become available. You should also note that you have full access to Development Seminars sponsored by the Provost’s Office and to Professional Development Resources sponsored by VUMC Faculty Affairs (see links to their websites below). If you have any ideas for additional offerings, or if you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Yours Most Sincerely,

Alyssa Hasty, PhD
Associate Dean of Faculty Development

Provost’s Office Resources

Provost Research Studios. The goal of the Provost Research Studios (PRS) is to support the professional development of assistant and associate professors by providing additional mentoring from outside the university.

Faculty Gateway. Designed to direct faculty reporting through the Provost’s office to the information they need for research and teaching.

Junior Faculty Leadership Development Program. The Junior Faculty Leadership Development Program (JFLDP) is a year – long, leadership development program designed for newly hired School of Medicine faculty members conducting ‘bench research’. The purpose of the program is to provide information that enhances skills and knowledge of Vanderbilt processes, policies, and regulations in support of implementing leadership in scientific research, specifically grants, funding, and hiring.

Promotion Through the Ranks. Established in 2016, the Promotion through the Ranks program is a series of workshops offered to all faculty members about the policies, processes, and expectations during the appointments and promotions process. The workshops are separated by academic track in order to ensure faculty members receive appointments and promotions data and information about their individual track.

Tools for Grant Writing. This website contains links to template language and various tools to help with grant applications.

EDGE Reviews. We offer an internal review by senior faculty of any R or K application. Proposals may include: Resubmissions, revisions, and renewals for basic and clinical investigation for the corresponding NIH cycle.

EDGE Grant Pacing Workshop. Break It Down to Build It Better is a practical series of workshops and peer accountability meetings designed to pace attendees smoothly to the completion of a grant. Topics covered include making a customized grant preparation timeline, using task lists to ensure continuous momentum, constructing flow diagrams, navigating Vanderbilt’s submission process, and maximizing assistance from mentors, staff, and students.

VICTR Studios. Studios are structured, dynamic sessions that bring together relevant research experts in a particular methodology to focus on a specific stage of research. Studios are intended to enhance research quality, improve funding success, foster advances in clinical practice and improvements in patient health, increase publications, and generate new hypotheses.

Women on Track. The overall mission of “Women on Track” is three-fold: To promote the retention and advancement of tenure track women faculty in medical science; to provide mentorship, support, and career education for junior faculty women; to construct a framework from which to attract and retain talented women from the house staff and post-doctoral levels of our organization.

Mid-Career Skills Building Program. The Mid-Career Skills Building Program (MSBP) is a year-long, professional development program for Associate Professors at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. The program allows participants to engage in self-reflection, networking, and education in the realms associated with faculty life at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

AAMC Mid Career Women Faculty Leadership Development Seminar. This professional development seminar focuses on women physicians and scientists holding medical school appointments at the associate professor level, and holding leadership positions within their discipline, department or institution. The seminar’s three and a half day curriculum is designed to provide mid-career faculty with the knowledge and skills required to continue advancing to leadership roles in academic medicine. This intensive and highly interactive seminar covers a variety of leadership topics, emphasizes the skills needed to advance to senior roles within academic medicine, and provides time for participants to strategically reinvigorate and realign their career with their goals.

Burroughs Wellcome Fund Career Tools. This website provides various career tools such as articles, career development guides, lab management guides, and other resources. Their resources include the PDF of Excellence Everywhere: A resource for scientists launching research careers in emerging science centers.

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. The NCFDD has members from almost every discipline and representing a broad range of colleges and universities. They offer members the resources listed at this link to assist graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty members make a successful transitions.

National Research Mentoring Network. This organization supports advancement at every career stage of research in biomedical sciences. You can experience mentorship and professional development programs designed to hone your practices and deepen your connection to the diverse nationwide scientific community.